photo courtesy of Ralph Smith
Schooner American Eagle
May 2021
Wednesday we had our annual safety inspection, including drills such as man overboard. Asher and Mike are off in the seineboat to retrieve Oscar (the dummy) while Matthew the lookout points and Tiffany casts off the painter. From splash to back aboard took about three minutes, which is plenty long in these cold spring waters. How cold? Fifty degrees!
Cruise News... Spring into Summer
Here's a curated selection of shots by our non-food photographer, who will be on the first trip this season. There's a common theme here: ten seasons ago. The first four all feature Adam Smith, former deckhand, then mate, also coming on the shakedown cruise.
Photo courtesy of Joe Flood

Ten years ago the Flood brothers were on as well. The younger one is now in college!

Postcards and Packages
With international travel at a bit of a standstill it's still possible to travel vicariously by postcards saved from previous trips. If you have one at home do send it along and I'll reimburse you for the stamp.
Jack couldn't come on this voyage but sent us some of his handiwork. He takes sailcloth and turns out placemats. There's a lot of work in cleaning up the canvas, stitching the ends and teasing them out neatly, and lettering the name of your favorite schooner in nameboard style complete with stars. The spoon he made has fancywork on the handle and schooner lettering.

The day we relaunched the American Eagle in early May, this little fellow came out of his burrow to watch, while keeping an eye on the ospreys nesting nearby. The woodchucks eat the dandelions first while grazing the grass around the edges of our shipyard cove.
Whew, now we can go sailing. Join us if you have the time; we do!
John's closing